Unexpected Gift
by fourpawsonthefloor
Summary: KurtNightcrawler returns post X3, and finds a gift when he least expects it. One shot.


**Title: Unexpected Gift.****Author: Paws****Archived: At ****Nightscrawlers**** – you can archive elsewhere, but please drop me a note so I know. This was part of our Secret Santa exchange there – dedicated to ****Wingy****Summary: Kurt returns post X3, and finds a gift when he least expects it.****Rating: PG for a little language****Characters: Kurt Wagner/****Nightcrawler**** mainly – some ****Ororo****/Storm and Logan/Wolverine****Disclaimer: These guys belong to Marvel. I get to play with them because I make no money doing this and they are kind enough not to sue our butts off.**

"Kurt!" So much feeling was put into that one simple syllable - joy and surprise being foremost.

I took a step into the doorway, one of my hands still resting on the knob of the old polished mahogany front door. "Gutentag, Ororo." We stood there a bit until I gestured a hand up to the dark sky above me, as it fitfully spit rain down as if it wasn't sure it really wanted to rain or not. "If you do not mind...it is a bit damp out."

"Of course." She stepped aside, leaving me and my suitcases room to slip by her. "I'm sorry, you just surprised me. We weren't expecting you this soon." She gave me one of her full smiles that I remembered so well. "It's good to see you Kurt."

"It's good to see you as well." I looked up the wide staircase, sighing a bit to myself. I wondered if I could find the reconciliation here that I could not before – but these were the people that had helped me. I may be conflicted with their methods at times, it contrasting so sharply with the peaceful activities that I felt Gott would want for me. But this was a time of need for them and as much as I would wish to change the world to make it simpler and kinder, it was not such a place. "I'm quite sorry to hear of your losses – Scott and then with Jean back for such a brief time and then lose her again..." I studied her closer, noticing some new lines etched in her brow and the fatigue that pinched her eyes. "You assumed command, ja?"

Ororo nodded and her eyes clouded over for a brief moment, the rain pattering down harder until she blinked and it cleared. "It's been difficult adjusting. We're still trying to figure things out with both the students and the staff. Getting used to the professor having a new body has been interesting." A quirk to her lips gave testament to the general 'unusualness' that seemed to follow them like a toy on a string.

"To top it off, we've already gotten another five students since we contacted you. I'm not sure how much of this sudden influx of students is due to increased public awareness of us and how much is because parents are starting to fear their children more and are looking for places to cast them out." A clap of thunder rumbled suddenly and she forced a half smile. "I'm keeping you. You'd probably like to get settled and freshened up. It must have been a long trip.

It wasn't until she mentioned it that I really became aware of the fatigue. "Ja. I suppose I am. I'll see you later?"

She glanced at the clock. "Probably not until dinner at the earliest. I have a few things to get done." She gave me an apologetic smile. "If you need anything, just grab someone."

I gave her a reassuring smile. "I'll do that." I was halfway to the stairs when her voice halted me again.

"Kurt...I just wanted to thank you for coming to help with the teaching. We've been so short handed – it was a relief to have you offer."

"The pleasure is mine." I gave her a deep bow, just to see her smile a little easier. I found some of the conflict easing off of me. Gott had a purpose for me here.

My room was how it was when I left it, minus the few posters that I had taken with me. Mind you, I hadn't changed it much, when I was assigned it. I remember what my first few days at the mansion were like – the people very grim and sad with the loss of such a close team mate, friend or in one case a lover. I remembered Scott well, despite how he'd kept so much to himself. I was very sad to hear that he had died.

All in all, I'd been here for such a short time before deciding that my path led elsewhere. Being pardoned meant that I had the freedom to come and leave at will. I felt in ways that my leaving had been a betrayal to those who had helped me, but they were fighting a war. A war for equality perhaps – but it still was a war. I didn't want to hurt people in order to help others. I recognised the necessity, but it wasn't something that I could do. At least that's what I'd thought.

When I'd left, I'd gone back to Germany. The places I went may have been the same as they were before, but I was not. I kept in contact with Ororo, and through her had heard of the happenings both before and after Alcatraz. I spent many hours praying, but really my decision had been made for me back when I was found in that church, and had my bottom nearly toasted by a well placed lightning bolt. Whoever said that you can't look back was right.

I closed my eyes and tipped my head back, resting it against the back of the chair. Four months, three days. Thank Gott that was the last final exam I'd had to mark. It was funny how everything had fit into place so quickly. Four months had felt like four years. A low muttering protest from my stomach reminded me that the last four hours of marking had felt like four years itself.

Rather than make my way through the empty halls even as cheerful as they were all decked out in their Christmas decorations, I opted for the quicker way down as it was unlikely that the kitchen would be occupied at this time of night. And for that – it mostly wasn't. I didn't even know if I should consider the man sitting hunched at the table 'company'. Logan barely said anything these days. Why he'd even stuck around had baffled the entire staff, knowing his past habits. But other than a couple of days a month when he'd disappear for parts unknown he had stayed, running through his routine with an almost placid appearance. I rethought those words. No, not placid. Contained - like the beast in him had been wrapped tight. Though you could still see a flash of it now and then – we all knew that there were a few things that you simply did not do or say to Logan.

He sat, back to me, methodically making his way through a beer. Judging by the case to the left of him, and the empties to the right, he'd been here for a while. Unfortunately this wasn't an atypical way for him to spend the evening. Since my return I'd mainly chosen to leave Logan to his own devices. Gott knows the man wasn't exactly welcoming. Something about the set of his shoulders stopped me from simply making a sandwich and leaving tonight though. I picked my plate up and crossed to the table, setting the belated meal down opposite him on top of the gaily printed table cloth where snowmen and stockings created a truly eye-boggling combination of red, blue and green.

A lift of the brow over one brown eye was the acknowledgement that I got. Well at least it was something. I swung the chair around backwards and sat on it. Normally I preferred to just perch somewhere but it left the impression that I was ready to leap away at a moment's notice, and tonight I wanted to appear as sociable as possible. I dug into the sandwich, the dead silence of the room only broken by the obnoxious ticking of a wall clock for the longest time.

"Beer?"

His voice startled me at first. I was nearly through my sandwich, and had been searching for a conversation starter. I grasped at the offering with relief. "Ja. Sure."He slid the bottle across the table and resumed his silent drinking, cracking open another.

I took a long swallow and then looked considering back at the bottle clutched in my hand. "This isn't as bad as I thought it would be."

"If you thought it would be bad, then why did you take it?" I'd always wondered at how he managed to growl out his words. It seemed as if that would get tiring or would irritate your throat or something. It was odd, but it suited him. His question left me scrambling again though.

"A bad beer is better than none?" Ok, even _I_ didn't believe that and by his expressive snort, neither did he. I searched for something to say. "Most of the beer I've tasted here is rather...weak?"

"American beer is horse piss. This is Canadian."

"Ah." I took another long swallow. "It's not bad. Not as good as German beer, but this is much more palatable than what I have had here before."

Logan seemed to bristle at this, but not in an 'I want to gut you' sort of way, thank Gott. He gave me a look. "I'll take Canadian over that imported crap any day." He tipped the long neck at me as a point. "I'm not one of those fancy meterowhatchamakalits, paying eight bucks per bottle for some weird ass beer."

I found myself laughing. "No, you misunderstand me. I'm talking about the sort of beer that you'd get on tap in a local pub. Well...local in Germany."

Another snort. "I guess I'll have to take your word for it." He paused for a minute. "How did you get in pubs anyways? People over there more accepting of mutants or something?"

I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling the uncomfortable weight of memories on me again. "Nein, not really." I made a face at my slip. I was getting much better at only speaking English but it slipped out once and a while. "When I was with the circus they'd order a barrel down to wherever we set up."

"A circus, eh?" The eyebrow lifted again. "Doing what?"

I could grin at that. "I was the Incredible Nightcrawler." His flat expression didn't change and I backpedalled. "I worked on the trapeze."

"Running around in tights then." Was the man laughing at me? His expression hadn't changed, but there was a certain hint of humour in that statement.

"Skin tight leather is a better choice?" I shot back, gratified to see the corner of his mouth twitch.

"Suppose you got me there." We drank for a while longer, and I wondered what I could do to keep him from pulling back into that hole he'd retreated in since he'd had to take Jean's life.

"So...with Christmas coming up, I wanted to do something for the students here. So many of them do not have families to return to." A low grunt in reply. Ok. Well I wasn't going to take that as a negative – he was more of a snarler if he didn't like something. "Perhaps something with Santa Clause and a party of some sort?"

"Your funeral." He poured the last of his beer down his throat. "But yeah, they'd probably like it." The words were somewhat grudging but sincere enough.

"Ja. So..." I looked at him hopefully.

"What?" He frowned. "Oh no. _Hell_ no. You are barking up the wrong tree there, bub."

"Well perhaps not Santa." I conceded. "But something? These kids haven't got any other plac..."

I was only halfway through my plea when he let out a groan and pinched the skin between his brows. "I'll get the grub. _And_ help you set up. But I'm not babysitting."

I grinned, feeling a bit lighter. Now hopefully the children would have a good Christmas, and Logan...well just maybe Logan too. "Danke...thank you."

"Yeah, yeah." His eyes narrowed slightly and a grin teased at his mouth again. "You're welcome, elf."

"Elf?" I sat back in my chair, not quite sure what to say about that as my tail flicked slowly behind me.

"Yeah. Elf. Pointy ears, spreading Christmas Cheer and all that crap. Just be glad you aren't fat. It could be worse."

I found myself smiling. I held my bottle aloft. "Elf it is."

He clinked his new bottle against mine and chuckled. It was a rumbling happy noise and it warmed me to hear it. I felt like there was something more important was happening here than just a beer, getting some help or helping someone that was feeling low. I had made a new friend. And that was the biggest and best gift anyone can get.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!


End file.
